A former Army Ranger and struggling father turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname "Roofman". After escaping prison, he secretly lives in...
In the hands of a less accomplished filmmaker, “Roofman” might have played like a quirky true crime oddity or an overly sappy love story. But thanks to director Derek Cianfrance, this stranger than fiction tale about a man living secretly in a Toys “R” Us while on the run from the law becomes something far more emotionally resonant. This crowd pleasing film is a bittersweet portrait of love, desperation, and the strange ways people survive.
The film tells the story of military vet turned criminal Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum), whose robberies of McDonald’s restaurants (and eventual escape from prison) are driven less by malice than by a desire to be with his estranged children. Jeffrey has the brilliant idea to hide in plain site while a manhunt ensues, taking up residence inside a chain toy store. His plan works for much longer than it should, and it’s a really fun retelling of a true story.
Casting Tatum is nothing short of a masterstroke. Long known for his charm, the actor certainly leans into that natural likability here, making Jeffrey a deeply sympathetic (if sometimes frustratingly careless) figure. You understand why people are drawn to him, even as you want to slap him silly for the boneheaded decisions he makes. The role requires an actor who can effortlessly carry the audience’s empathy, even when the character’s choices are questionable, and Tatum nails it. His chemistry with Kirsten Dunst as Leigh, a kind-hearted store employee and single mother of two, gives the film its aching heart. Their romance is soft, sweet, and built on moments of genuine connection, which makes it all the more painful to watch unfold as she and her daughters are being drawn deeper into a lie. You know from early on that this can’t end well, and the film leans into that inevitability with a melancholic, quiet grace.
The film walks a tricky tonal line by blending crime, romance, and character drama, but Cianfrance handles it with his usual sensitivity and cinematic eye. Whether it’s the fluorescent glow of a toy store at night or the hushed intimacy of a first date, the visuals are lovely and composed, lending a sense of poetry to even the strangest of circumstances.
Funny, romantic, and ultimately tragic, “Roofman” is a special film that takes a bizarre true story and finds the deep humanity within it. While it ends on a bittersweet note, the film leaves you with questions about justice, love, and the lengths people will go to for a spark of human connection.
